The Cincinnati Bengals are quickly approaching what may be the most important draft in franchise history—the 2012 NFL Draft. As draft day looms closer and closer, there are still several questions left unanswered and a variety of storylines yet to reach their conclusions.

The Bengals have been extremely active this offseason in upgrading the roster, but several questions still remain. Who will be the starting running back? Who will be starting right guard? What happens to depth at cornerback with Leon Hall potentially unavailable?

The Bengals have been proactive by attending a plethora of pro days and individual workouts, but it remains to be seen how their offseason moves will impact the draft.

This slideshow will chronicle every pro day and individual workout the Bengals have been involved in as well as aggregate every rumored and speculated interest in prospects the team may select come draft day.

Tracking the Bengals Visits, Workouts and Pro Day Attendance

Joe Robbins/Getty ImagesThe Bengals were present at Georgia's Pro-Day to see Cordy Glenn

The Bengals have had a flurry of activity in the last few months as they prepare for the draft. They've had a variety of prospects visit and even workout for the team, and they even traveled to see specific players at college pro days.

Players visiting teams aren't typically indicative of what the team plans to do come draft day, but this usually just represents the team doing its due diligence in preparation for the draft.

That trend may change this year.

Upon further examination of the above list, it becomes very apparent that the Bengals are aligning their visits and workouts with their most pressing needs: a second wide receiver, an offensive guard, a pass-rushing specialist and depth in the secondary. It's safe to say the team is doing a good job of examining prospects that fill a need that will be available in various rounds.

Here is a list of pro days the Bengals have attended (and players they were potentially looking at):

Whew. It appears as if the Bengals are going to be extremely well versed on a plethora of prospects come draft day. This in-depth approach to the draft will allow the Bengals to form an intricate big board and pick exactly who they want in each round.

Latest Bengals Trade Rumors and Speculation

Arguably the most intriguing aspect of every draft is the potential for trades during the event. The Bengals don't typically trade on draft day, but the possibility is always there.

There is also always the possibility the Bengals will trade some of their own players for additional picks in the upcoming draft. They did this recently when they traded oft-injured linebacker Keith Rivers to the New York Giants for a fifth-round pick, upping their count of fifth rounders to three.

Outside of the Rivers trade, the Bengals don't appear to be involved in any other trade talks. They seem content enough with their current roster that the only other transactions will now come in the form of draft picks.

The Bengals don't need to trade for other players or picks now. The team doesn't trade often, but when they have recently, they have won big. This includes getting compensation for Rivers and the now infamous Carson Palmer trade that gave the Bengals an additional first-round draft pick this year.

Trade Speculation Looms Large in Cincinnati

Speaking of having two first-round picks, that luxury has ignited a whirlwind storm of trade speculation.

Trading up isn't exactly the Bengals' style and likely won't be this year. The team seems content on having an opportunity to select two elite first-round prospects rather than giving up picks and only receiving one first-round talent.

Geoff Hobson of Bengals.com has recently confirmed the Bengals don't appear to be in any kind of draft-trade talks.

When looking at the roster, that means the Bengals have Bell, Wharton, Clint Boling and Otis Hudson occupying the position. Wharton is the starter, but there isn’t a starting-caliber player on the roster at right guard.

That leaves the Bengals with only the draft to find a starting right guard. Luckily for them the draft is littered with quality offensive line prospects.

In the first round the Bengals could select Stanford’s David DeCastro or Georgia’s Cordy Glenn. Either could come in and immediately be the starter. Glenn is listed as a tackle but could easily move inside.

The second round could see the Bengals take Wisconsin’s Kevin Zeitler if he falls that far. He could also be a starter. Amini Silatolu is another option in the second, and the team is reportedly very high on him.

After the first round the Bengals aren’t likely to find a starting-caliber guard, but quality depth that could crate healthy competition. Options include Brandon Brooks, James Brown and Brandon Washington.

The wildcard for the Bengals in the first and second round is Wisconsin center Peter Konz. He's far and away the best center in the draft, and the Bengals are reportedly considering taking him at 21st overall. He could either replace Kyle Cook at center or slide inside and contribute as a quality starting guard.

With two first round picks it’s a safe bet the Bengals are going to find a starting guard in the first two rounds. Who that is remains to be seen but it’s an assuring feeling for fans knowing that the offensive line as a whole should be better than the unit from a year ago.

When Will the Bengals Add Talented Youth to the Secondary?

Joe Robbins/Getty ImagesDre Kirkpatrick is a great way to add some youth to the Cincy secondary.

The Bengals have never truly recovered from the loss of cornerback Jonathan Joseph. However, Nate Clements played well last year, as did Adam Jones in place of Leon Hall, who suffered a torn Achilles.

The team addressed the cornerback position multiple times via free agency by signing Jason Allen and Terence Newman. They also re-signed corner Jones and safeties Reggie Nelson and Jeromy Miles.

For those keeping track, that means the Bengals have solid depth at corner that will allow Hall to land on the PUP list if not fully recovered in time for the start of the season. It also means they have a starting free safety in Nelson, with an open competition at strong safety between Taylor Mays, Robert Sand and Miles.

If the Bengals want to add another safety, there are a few options to consider in the draft including Alabama’s Mark Barron and Notre Dame’s Harrison Smith—both who will go in the first or second rounds. There’s also Brandon Taylor of LSU and Antonio Allen of South Carolina, who will probably remain available until the third and fourth rounds.

The Bengals need to draft a young corner early, and it’s one of the deepest positions in the draft. In the team’s first three picks, they have a variety of talented youth to choose from, including

Any of these prospects could come in and provide great depth while learning the intricacies of the position from veterans like Hall and Clements. Whoever they select won't see much playing time this upcoming season but will groomed to be a starter for the season after and beyond.

It's highly likely the team will use one of their first-round picks on a corner since it's still a necessity for the future with only Allen and Hall under contract after next season. It's becoming less likely the Bengals will use an early pick on a safety with the team appearing comfortable with the young prospects already on the roster.

Who Will Be the Bengals No. 2 Receiver Across from A.J. Green?

Joe Robbins/Getty ImagesKendall Wright would make for a great option across from A.J. Green.

The Bengals were fortunate enough to land A.J. Green in the draft last year, and he quickly turned out be a top 20 receiver in the league. The team was lacking a solid second option across from him for most of the season.

The Bengals are very high on Armon Binns, a player who resided on the practice squad some of last season. It’s hard to see Binns being a number two receiver with his lack of experience, but the team thinks they may have something there.

If the front office wants to confront the issue early in the draft, there will be plenty of option in their first three picks come draft day:

Michael Floyd, Notre Dame

Alshon Jeffery, South Carolina

Stephen Hill, Georgia Tech

Kendall Wright, Baylor

Rueben Randle, LSU

Chris Givens, Wake Forest

Mohamed Sanu, Rutgers

Taking a receiver in the draft is an intriguing option as Cincinnati is simply searching for a number two option—someone who is consistent and can be more of a possession receiver. Think T.J. Houshmanzadeh across from Chad Johnson.

There are plenty of options in the later rounds to fill this need as well, including Brian Quick, Nick Toon and Marvin Jones. The Bengals have also reportedly shown a lot of interest in Iowa's Marvin McNutt who fits the bill of a second option perfectly.

It's hard to predict who will be the number two receiver, but it's a safe bet he's on this slide somewhere.

Where Will the Bengals Find a Starting Running Back?

Otto Kitsinger III/Getty ImagesDoug Martin could quickly become the starting back in Cincy.

The Bengals allowed Cedric Benson, the starter from a year ago, to hit the open market (to which he has found no market) and addressed the void he left by signing former New England Patriot BenJarvus Green-Ellis.

The team wants to move to a running-back-by-committee approach in a similar vein to what the New Orleans Saints utilize. The Bengals have a rotation they could work with right now in Ellis, Bernard Scott, Brian Leonard and Cedric Peerman.

With that being said, the team could still use a proper number one back. The Bengals have a variety of options with their first three picks to find a feature back for their new rotation. Running back, like corner and wide receiver, is one of the deepest positions in the draft. Here are the options the Bengals have in their first three picks: